a / n: you chose two? You get two. Here we go, delving into the world of option two. (Btw I kinda got impatient and last I checked, option two was winning by one vote so we're doing that)

(time skip to Christmas Eve because I want to)

(Alex P.O.V)

I watched my friends as they set up the Christmas tree. It was a plain pine tree with some shiny globes, I didn't get the appea--

Oh fuck it was pretty. Peggy had plugged in a power cord and I stared at the rhythmically flashing white lights that hung delicately on the tree, casting a ethereal glow on the red and white ornaments that hung down from the branches. I stood up and inched towards it before Angie batted me away, practically hissing. I took a step back, but watched as she and her girlfriend wrapped tinsel around the tree, smiling.

"Pretty isn't it?"

I jumped and turned around to see James- my brother- standing behind me, one hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah..." I responded, still slightly hesitant when it came to talking to him. "Have you celebrated Christmas before?"

"Last year, with Liza." He smiled. "It was fun."

"I never got how everyone's ok with a man crawling into their chimneys."

"Remember the fancy houses that had fake Santas?"

"Oh god that was creepy."

"You were never ok with it." He teased.

"It's weird!" I protested. "How am I supposed to be ok with it?"

"I doubt we're going to be going with the Santa tradition." He informed me. "Just swapping gifts."

"Yeah, and if he was real, I'd be Santa and I'd eat all the cookies." Peggy butted in.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Maria joked from the other side of the room, where she was struggling to light a spark in the fireplace.

"Well why don't you just give me the cookies. You could make some special for me if you like, I wouldn't mind." Peggy moved over to her girlfriend.

I turned back to my brother, the tree's lights making his red hair glow a faint silver. "So you're the only single one now?"

He looked down at me, smirking. "Never thought little Alex would get a boyfriend before me."

"Well, the tables have turned haven't they?" I replied, copying his smirk.

"I suppose they have."

"Got your eyes on anyone?" I teased, and he reddened slightly. "Ooooh, who is it? Who's got James blushing?"

"No one." He said quickly.

"Aww." I pouted. "C'mon, we live on opposite sides of the country, there are over 200 miles between us."

We just looked at each other for a bit, the realization setting in. After this break, we'd probably not see one another for a considerably long period of time.

"Hey have you heard from Peter?" James asked, striking up conversation again, my heart sank.

"I... H-he..." I didn't know how to continue, struggling for the words.

"Ok, you know what, tell me after Christmas, ok?" James looked at me kindly, and I nodded gratefully, he had all the right to know, but I didn't know how to formulate what had happened into a sentence.

But he'd reminded me of the things I tried so desperately to forget. Peter.

No, later. Not right now.

I managed to push the memories to a darker corner of my brain, where I stored all the unwanted things. I forced a smile, and James smiled back, clearly sensing something was off.

"Hey can ask y'all a question?" Peggy piped up and I stared at her in mock astonishment.

"Y'all? Did you just say y'all?" I gaped incredulously.

"I guess I've spent to much time in South Carolina." She shrugged, laughing.

"James, did you hear that? She's a purebred New York lady, and she said y'all"

My brother laughed, his eyes crinkling up in genuine happiness, which I was only just getting used to seeing. John walked in then, and came to sit next to me on the couch, putting his arm around my waist casually.

"What'd I miss?" He asked.

"Pegs said y'all." I informed him.

"I knew you'd get there some day Peggy!" My boyfriend grinned, and I shot him a betrayed look.

"It's not even a real word!" (me just casually insulting my own vocabulary) I exclaimed.

"It's an abbreviation." James pointed out.

"That doesn't make it a word."

"Y'all need to chill." John joked.

"It's ok if he says it?" Peggy waved at him.

"He's from South Carolina Pegs, he gets a pass." I told her.

"He's also your boyfriend, I'm sure that helps."

"We'll see." I turned my head to face Angie and Theo who were untangling the tinsel, laughing. "Hey Angie?"

"Yeah?"

"If Theo started saying y'all, would you be ok with it?" I asked.

"Hell no!" Angelica protested. "Why?"

"Pegs here has implemented it into her dictionary."

"Peggy! You don't get a pass just because you're studying here."

"I argue that I should get a pass." Peggy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know lots of people who're from here, and I spend a lot of time with them. I own a house here, as y'all." She emphasized the word. "Can clearly tell. I think it's perfectly normal for me to have picked up on little things."

"She makes a point." Theo commented.

"I've been betrayed!" Angie exclaimed dramatically.

"Aaanyways, as I was saying before, can I ask a question?"

"Sure, fire away." James smiled.

"How come you and Alex look so different?" She asked.

I looked at my brother and he stared at me. I considered how I looked and tried to make a parallel.

"Dunno." I told her honestly after a while. "Genetics fucked up."

Peggy laughed and nodded, satisfied (my phone tried to make that sAtIsFiEd, clearly something is wrong). She went back over to Maria, who was swearing softly as she blew on the fire to get it to grow.

I got up and wandered off to the kitchen to get myself more coffee, only to be pulled back into the living room by Hercules, who was following Eliza and Lafayette. I assumed that meant some form of communal game, which usually happened at 12 PM. I was brought back to the couch, where I was forced into a sitting position in the spot I'd jus left. Yup, either truth or dare or paranoia.

"PARANOIA TIME MES AMIS!" Laf yelled.

Everyone made a circle, and I found myself in between Eliza and Herc, leaning against the couch.

"Who goes first?" Theo asked.

"You go first." I offered and everyone nodded.

"Ok..." she scanned the circle and walked over to Maria. That made sense, Theo was new to most of the people here.

I watched her say something in Maria's ear, and the girl blushed almost the color of her dress. I wondered what Theo could have asked, and Maria simply shook her head. Peggy flipped the coin and it landed on tails, so Theo could keep the question private. I saw her raise an eyebrow a Maria and point her head towards Peggy slightly. Maria only blushed darker and Theo laughed.

It was Maria's turn, she trotted across the circle to John. I watched intently as she asked her question and his cheeks went red. All these personal and embarrassing questions. Wow.

"Holy fuck no." He said.

Heads.

We all looked at Maria expectantly. She shrugged and glanced at me. "I asked if he and Alex had fucked yet."

   I smirked. "But would you though?" I asked John and he just stared at me, at a loss for words.

The game continued fairly uneventfully. Lots of tea was spilled, and I only had two questions by the end of the game; James had answered one of the questions in a way I couldn't figure out, but I guess we hadn't seen each other in a few years, things could change. Still, I was fairly sure he was referring to me, and, as I said, I haven't seen him in a good amount of years. I was kinda hoping everyone would go back to their own rooms to sleep, but they just crashed in the living room. Once I was convinced that everyone was asleep, I got up to go take my pills. Even though I'd openly admitted I had problems when I first saw James, that didn't mean they needed to know anything else. Peggy knew, and that was enough. I grabbed my bad and rummaged though it for the pill bottle, and pulled it out, only to find that it was empty.

"Fuck." I shoved it back into the depths of my backpack. "Fuckety fuck."

No sleep tonight for me, gonna go get some coffee. I sighed, pulling my hair into a ponytail, which I did when I was nervous. I then proceeded to pull out the hair tie, only to put it back in. It's not like it's my first nuit blanche, I could handle a little bit of sleeplessness. I was making coffee when someone walked into the kitchen, and I whipped my head around and saw Lafayette.

« Salut. » (hey) I waved awkwardly, continuing to make coffee as casually as I could.

« Salut, tu fais quoi? » (hey, what're you doing?) Laf asked me, staring at the coffee I was making.

« Je fais du café clairement. » (I'm making coffee clearly) I smiled slightly.

« Je vois. Pourquoi t'es réveillé? » (I see. Why are you awake?)

« Je... ne pouvais pas dormir... » (I... couldn't sleep...) I noticed it come out as a question.

« Tu avais des... pilules? Pourquoi? » (You had... pills? Why?)

« Je... euhh... » (I... uhh...) How am I supposed to answer that?

Yeah, I have pills against my anxiety attacks and my depression. I also don't sleep if I run out, because I'm prone to nightmares and they're really bad when I'm not on my meds.

"More espresso less depresso?" I told him, drinking my coffee, which I'd finished.

Lafayette stared at me, a small smile making its way onto his face.

"More espresso less depresso." I repeated, drinking my coffee and getting ready to make more.

« Ça va? Je sais que tu t'es réconcilié avec ton frère mais si il y a un problème tu peux me parler tu sais. » (All good? I know you and your brother made up, but I'd there's a problem you can tell me you know) I nodded gratefully to him, and made my second cup of coffee. He left, presumably to go back to sleep and I made myself another cup of coffee, a bit worried about my lack of medicine, which would ultimately result in insomnia. Oh well, we'll see as we go along I guess.